Rutgers goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer made three consecutive saves during the penalty kick round as the Scarlet Knights earned a tough victory over the USC Trojans with a 3-0 blanking during the shootout in overtime.

But going in, no one expected this match to be easy.

After all, USC was the top squad in the conference, with an undefeated record against Big Ten opponents.

The high-flying Trojans looked poised to simply crush the Scarlet Knights and sweep them aside on their way to the title match.

While there was plenty of end-to-end action in the first half, defense reigned, as neither club could find the net through the first 45 minutes. The defensive struggle led to a 0-0 tie through the first period as both teams looked to re-set for the second half.

The Trojans, now facing just 45 minutes to dispatch with the feisty club from New Jersey, quickly turned up the heat in the early going of half number two.

Their efforts quickly paid off as senior Simone Jackson took a pass from forward Hannah Griffin and put it past the RU goalkeeper at 46:10 for the 1-0 lead.

Down a goal, the Scarlet Knights soon found themselves down a player when star senior forward Riley Tiernan took a red card for Violent Conduct and was ejected from the match at 48:09.

Trailing on the scoreboard, shorthanded against the top team in the conference, and without their best offensive player, the Scarlet Knights looked finished.

But in the most desperate times true character comes out, and when it mattered most, sophomore Ashley Baran put the team on her shoulders and provided the spark and leadership the Knights needed.

A deep pass by Emily Mason was knocked forward with a header by Sydney Urban, where it found Baran flying toward the USC goal. Seemingly out of position for an attempt, Baran sliced her shot razor thin as the ball slipped past USC goalkeeper Laurence Gladu to tie the game, 1-1, at 51:22.

From there, the Scarlet Knights played a tight defensive game as USC scrambled to find the go-ahead goal with the player advantage.

But 90 minutes would not be enough to settle this one, as the match sat level, 1-1, at the end of regulation. Two more nail-biting periods followed, with relentless pressure from the Trojans.

But through two overtime periods it was Bodmer’s incredible goalkeeping that kept RU in the game, and on those rare occasions when she was out of position, the Rutgers defense bailed her out.

Through 110 minutes of play with two overtime periods, the game still remained tied, 1-1, and it would be decided with a penalty kick shootout.

After RU netted two goals by Mason and freshman Shaela Bradley and Bodmer had stymied attempts by Helena Sampaio and Kayla Colbert, the shootout moved to round three.

Junior Allie Post put the third PK shot past Gladu into the USC goal, putting all the pressure squarely on the Trojans’ next shooter, senior Maile Hayes.

That’s when Bodmer paid back her teammates for their grit and tenacity. Having already made two saves on the first two USC shots, Bodmer stared down Hayes and deflected her blast straight up into the air and over the goal, sealing the win for the Scarlet Knights.

With the victory, Rutgers will now move to the finals of the Big Ten Tournament. Their opponent, the UCLA Bruins, is the team that finished second in the Big Ten standings, right behind USC. The Bruins will be favored after defeating Washington, 2-0, in their semifinal matchup. The game will kick off at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 10 and will be carried on the Big Ten Network.